Refining apparatus



' im e the rectifying column broken away.

40 or liquid-baths. s alcohol distillation, arebuiltup by'the conden- 50 more or less Patented Feb. 7,1939 e PATENT OFFICE 2,118,651 APPARATUS 1 George F.1'rigge, Dayton, Ky.,

s; Iron Works, Inc.,

sonia Copper assignor to An- Cincinnati,

Ohio, a corporation or West Virginia Application October 27, 1936, Serial No. 107,912 3 Claims; (01. 261-118) This-invention relates to distilling apparatus 4 Y for the treatment of volatileliquids "such as alcohol. The "invention is particularly'concerned with a novel rectifying column adapted for the distilling, iractionating, an'd refining of volatile 1 liquids.

An object or the invention is to provide means for purifying and refining volatile liquids in an' and highly efilcient manner involvinga merked saving-of'time in the rectifying'process,

a 1 I Another object isrto providmeans ior break 1; ;ing upthe vapors. evolveddurin'gjthe distilling I process so, that the .impurities'therein' may be f quickly an'd'emciently removed.

Another object is to provide-a novel boiling trayto be incorporated in rectifying columns.

Another object is to provide such a .tray comprising a minimum .of parts and-{therefore adapted for efiicient manufacture-and use.

These and other objectsare attained by the means described herein and-illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:v

Fig. 1 'is an elevational andsoinewhat diagrammati'c view of a kettlestill and an associated rectifying.column, the latter having means of the present irivent'icniincorporated ;therein, being shown with parts r Fig. 2'is across sectional view on'theline 2- -2 su of Fig. 1. e Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view on the line H of Fig. 2, with parts broken-away. f f

.The process with-which the present invention is concerned, icontemplates broadly the steps of 5 first heating the unpurifled volatile liquid in a I still and causing the vapors; thus developed to. -,pass intuit rectifying column wherethese vapors are purified-by having the fc-reignmaterials removed therefromv passage: through a series Q'I'hese baths, in the case of sationof liquids-f-wa'ter for the most part-and -.other impurities. After the vapors have passed through the series of baths'in the rectifying i5 column,- they aleintroduced into dephlegmator and condenser tubes after which the distillate is removed frun the system.

Heretofore, the vapors evolved in the process broadly described above have been handled in mass; form so'ithat the. purification 1 of the vapor sinvoived a;,cons iderable amount 01' time. 'Furthermoregthe means heretofore em- Qployed for the "purification of volatile liquids I have operated atTe -rather:lowefliciencvsci that =55 either an extended amount of timewas required Ior'thorough'purification or elsethe condensate "drawn oil wasnot absolutely rectified.

' The present invention provides means for breaking up the masses of vapor into' a multioo plicity of small stream which are readily acted 1 drawing: In Fig. 1

Y condenser tubes eiiected efllciently and in a minimum of time;

In greater detail,-and with reference to the there is represented a kettle still 5 having suitable steam coils 6 in the bottom and connected, as by the vapor pipe I, with. a rectifying column 8. This column, as illustrated herein, may comprise a plurality of cylindrical sections 9, each formediat'its extremities with flanges "I which, in the formation of the column,

are placed and suitably secured together to form a col n of desired length.

The upper end of the column is provided with a vapor pipe ll through which the purified vapors are introduced into dephlegmator and (not shown) and from which tubes the final distillateis-removed. The top and bottom of the column I may likewise have associated therewith the refl x pipes l2 and l3. The broad features of the apparatus Just described are well known and need not be further detailed.

' According to the present invention the rectitying column has disposed therein a plurality of boiling trays ll positioned in vertically spaced relation. As illustrated, each section 8 of the column may haveassociated therewith a selected number of the trays, three being shown herein for the purpose oi illustration. Each tray consists of a condensation plate l5 which is of peripheral outline similar to the cross sectional outline oi theinterior of the column section 9 with which it is associated: The condensation plate It may be formed with an edge flange it which is suitably attached to the interior face of the column '9 and which plate forms, in eflect, a liquid or vapor containing shelf. The plate '15 is provided with a vapor flue ll projecting upwardly therefrom. This. flue may be positioned centrally of the plate It, as herein illustrated,

Positioned above the plate II is a perforate plate 0 suitably supported, such as by an edge flange i9 resting upon the plate It. The suriace of plate I 8, in all out its central portion, is formed with a plurality of small apertures 20, "The centralportion of the plate is formed upwardly into a non-perforate cap 2| disposed over the flue i1 dimensions and position as to be in spaced rela 'tion with the flue.

Each of the boiling trays ll has cooperating therewith anoverfiow pipe 22, suitably associated with the condensation and perforate plates.

the perforate plate It and the bottom end of said pipe extends downwardly into adjacent relationship with the periorate plate it of the next lower :The upper end of the overflow pipe projects above The temperature of boiling tray in the column. The overflow pipes, as seen in Fig. 3, are preferably positioned adjacent the peripheries of the boiling trays, with the overflow pipe of one tray disposed on the side opposite from the overflow pipe of the adjacent trays, that is, in staggered relation.

Each of the perforate plates i8, im mediately beneath the lower end of the overflow pipe of the tray above, is provided with a recess or dished portion 23. Inasmuch as the lower ends of the overflow pipes project into substantially the same planeas the perforate plates beneath, these recessed portions preclude contact between the pipes and perforate plates and provide for free liquid flow through the pipes. It will be seen that the recessed portions 23 are preferably nonperforate for a purpose to be later described.

In operation, the vapors evolved in the kettle still 5 pass upwardly into the column 8, and rise into contact with the condensation plates it of the several trays in the rectifying column. The vapors are deflected through the fiues I! and are directed downwardly, by the caps 2| around the outside of the flues i'i. It will be understood thata liquid bath of condensate, is maintained on each of the boiling trays, at a level substantially that of the overflow pipeconnected with each tray. Thus, the perforate plate It is maintained submerged beneath the condensate. Hence, the vapors deflected downwardly by the caps 28 spread through the liquid bath and in passing upwardly-therethrough are split up into a multiplicity of small streams by the apertures 20 of the perforate plates. Thereafter, the vapors from one tray rise up and follow a similar course with relation to the next tray above and finally leave the top of the rectifying column and pass into suitable dephlegmator' and condenser tubes, being thereafter removed as a purified distillate. the liquid baths on the several boiling trays is directlyin relation to the position of the individual tray above the still. As the vapors pass upwardly through the liquid baths, they are, due to the fact of their being in the form of minute streams, readily affected by the temperatures of the liquid baths and forei n substances in the vapor streams having boilinc:- temperatures higher than that of the liquid bath, are condensed and carried oil in the bath. The uncondensed vapors, however, continue to rise upwardly in the column. containing a progressively smaller amount of foreign material as they approach the top of the column. Thereafter, the vapors, now of a desired strength and pass out of the column to be condensed in the separate apparatus already mentioned. It may be noted that the dished portions 23, being imperforate, do not permit a mass of vapor to arise throu h the associated bath at this point, and furthermore precludes vapors from rising through the overflow pipe adjacent said dished portion. These dished portions, moreover. hold liquid even when the body of the liquid bath,

as during non-operation of the column, has descended beneath the perforated plate to the condensation or non-perforate plate of the tray.

The result is that a permanent liquid seal is provided on the lower ends of the downflow pipes so that, when operation of the system is restarted, there is noinitial escape of vapors upwardly through the downflow pipes.

' perforations in each perforate plate I8 is such as The number of It will be understood that the rectifying proc-' ess may be prolonged or shortened according to the length of the column and number of boiling trays utilized. The factthat the dished portions or recesses 23 project below rather than above the associated perforate plate 18 makes possible a relatively shallow liquid bath which expedites the distilling process inasmuch as the vapors are permitted to rise through the boiling trays more rapidly. Moreover, the shallower bath makes, a lower temperature of the liquid possible, with a consequent better distillation product, especially in the distillation of such products as ethyl alcohol where a high temperature of the baths results in undesirable vapors rising along with those intended to be acted on. At. the same time, said recesses or bays assure effective liquid sealing of the overflow pipes 22 regardless of agitation of the liquid baths resulting from increased pressure or movement of rising vapors.

The present invention, due to the simplicity of its parts, is adapted for efficient manufacture and assembly.

Various modifications of the means herein disclosed may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of .the present invention.

What is claimed is:

1. Rectifying apparatus comprising a column, and a plurality of boiling trays positioned in the column in vertically spaced relation, each tray comprising a condensation plate, 'a vapor flue projecting upwardly from each condensation plate, a perforate plate positioned above each condensation plate, a non-perforate cap on each perforate plate and disposed over the flue of the associated condensation plate in spaced relation with said flue, an overflow pipe projecting through each tray with its upper end extending above the associated perforate plate and its bottom end extending adjacent the perforate plate of the next lower tray and into a plane belowthe upper end of the overflow pipe of said lower tray, and a recessed or dished portion in each perforate plate immediately beneath the lower end of the overflow pipe of the tray above and, extending above and clear of the condensation plate beneath.

2. Rectifying apparatus comprising a column, and boiling trays positioned in the column in vertically spaced relation, each tray comprising a condensation plate, a perforate plate positioned above the condensation plate, an overflow pipe projecting through the tray and having its lower end [extending adjacent the perforate plate of the projecting through the tray and having its lower end extending adjacent the perforate plate of the next lower tray, and an imperforate recessed or dished portion in-the perforate plate immediately beneath the lower end of the overflow pipe of the tray aboveg GEORGE F. PRIGGE. 

